


Storybook Ending

by often_adamanta



Series: On the Square Universe [5]
Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-06-05
Updated: 2005-06-05
Packaged: 2017-10-22 06:24:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/234868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/often_adamanta/pseuds/often_adamanta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Beta'd by the amazing <span class="ljuser ljuser-name_dianadisaster"><a href="http://dianadisaster.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://dianadisaster.livejournal.com/"><b>dianadisaster</b></a></span></p>
    </blockquote>





	Storybook Ending

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by the amazing [](http://dianadisaster.livejournal.com/profile)[**dianadisaster**](http://dianadisaster.livejournal.com/)

“Orlando!” Elijah knocks on the glass door hard enough to rattle it. “Hey, Orlando!” If people want to live on top of stores, they should really put in private doorbells or something, Elijah thinks, knocking again. He steps away from the door and looks up at the windows above. “ORLANDO!” His voice echoes in the empty square.

A light turns on, downstairs, and Orli emerges from the back in a pair of pajama pants looking tired and rumpled. Elijah’s mouth goes dry, and his hands shake, and maybe that third cup wasn’t such a good idea, and he trots back to the door as Orlando opens it.

“Elijah?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, I’m not… You-You’re alone, right?”

“Yes.” Elijah nearly collapses against the door in relief. “Can I help you with something?” Orli asks, looking confused and annoyed.

“I, uh, I need to talk with you.”

Orli eyes him blearily. “At three in the morning?”

“Yes?”

“Come in.” Orli steps back from the door. It shuts behind Elijah with a swoosh, and then he’s standing there, feeling like an idiot. An unprepared idiot. An unprepared idiot whose hands are still shaking.

“Angie and I broke up,” he blurts out suddenly, thinking if there was going to be an obstacle between them that was probably it.

“I’m sorry,” Orli says softly.

“It’s okay. Well, not okay, but… you know what I mean.” He says in the same tone. There’s a short span of silence, and then he continues. “You’re amazing, Orli.” Elijah takes a step toward him. “You’re funny and charming and smart. No matter how horrible my day’s been, when I see you, I can’t help but smile. In fact, for months, the only times I’ve been happy are when I’m with you.”

Elijah steps toward him again, and Orlando pulls back unconsciously. His mouth opens, the phrase ‘what the fuck?’ tearing though his brain and looking for an outlet, but nothing makes it out.

Elijah smiles and continues when it’s clear Orli’s not going to say anything. “When you’re around, I can’t keep my eyes off you. You make my knees weak, my hands shake, my head spin in a way that is only fractionally explained by my excessive coffee habit.”

Orli smiles at that, and Elijah steps closer again, but Orli keeps the distance between them, suddenly free from Elijah’s spell. He looks around, thinking he’ll be waking up at any second now, but he doesn’t.

“Is there, like, a hidden camera, or something?”

“No,” Elijah laughs, and Orli’s chest tightens.

“You’re for real?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t…” Orli shakes his head. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s just been darkness, Orli. I knew there was light, somewhere, just on the edge of my vision. Typical, right? Always the last place you look.” Elijah’s got a funny smile on his face, and Orli realizes that it’s because he’s serious, sincere. Orli can’t remember if he’s ever seen this Elijah before. “I saw you tonight with someone else, and it was a whole new kind of darkness, made me sick. You laughed, and it was like someone flicked the switch, and I realized it was you, you were my light.”

Orli swallows something close to a sob and Elijah moves close enough to run trembling fingers over Orli’s cheek. “You’re blindingly brilliant. And beautiful. And everything I’ve been searching for.”

Orli drags hands along Elijah’s shoulders as if testing that he’s really there. “This can’t be happening,” Orli whispers. “It can’t. Things like this only happen in stories.”

“No,” Elijah corrects him, “This is what they write the stories about.” They kiss, and Elijah tastes of coffee and Orli of toothpaste, which normally doesn’t go well at all, but it does this time...

Orli’s fighting back tears when they break apart. “I’ve wanted this for so long…”

“Me, too.” Elijah kisses him again.

Orli glances at the large, black windows they’re in front of. “Come upstairs?”

Elijah follows his gaze and giggles. “Not an exhibitionist, then?”

“Maybe not the _first_ time.” Orli pulls Elijah toward the back. “And I wouldn’t want you to be embarrassed. I mean, just undressing another person the first time can be difficult.”

“You’re wearing pajama pants. And I’ve practiced enough in my head to get it right,” Elijah admits to Orli’s obvious delight.

“What else have you been practicing?” Orli teases as they start up the stairs.

“Everything,” Elijah whispers and traps Orli against the door for another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at livejournal [here](http://often-adamanta.livejournal.com/76651.html).


End file.
